James Cameron's AVATAR discussion thread

[cedric72]

Personally, I LOVED AVATAR Im a huge James Cameron fan but this movie was awesome in every way. Effects, CHaracters, And story!, people say the story isnt original but if you think about it, we should commend james cameron that he could tell a classic story so well. I know everyone says its so Dances with wolves and Pocohauntas and all that bull???? !!.But i dont remember them on another planet..and not in the future and i defintly dont remember AVatars. Everyone neeeds to see this movie. trust me.

Well said. A classic story with a futuristic twist.

 

[Bloodsport]

How come the people who bash this film's story always write I'm a big fan of all cinema (in a geeky antisocial a-hole voice). We all know that if this was James' first movie ever and it had no hype around it they'll will be hollering how great this movie is.

 

[cedric72]

Who cares if the story is Shakespeare or not, the point is the majority of people enjoyed it. Even if its just because of the effects or the beauty of the film. Get over it.

Just do what I did Lightwave, stick him on the ignore list. That way you don't have to read his obtuse drivel.

 

[KneelBeforrSmallville]

Yeah People can say what they want but i really liked AVATAR, and its doing amazing in the box office..its already got a huge fanbase...we are that fanbase guys..

 

[willocrew]

The script may be predictable, but certainly the execution was masterful.

Just think about it for a moment; one of the core themes of avatar is this idea of inter-species romantic relations. Now..

Spoiler

. if you were to ask someone who hasn't seen the film how would they feel about a movie where the human protaganist becomes romatically involved with a cat-like alien & has mental sex with that alien through a machine, chances are they'll be a little disturbed & the whole thing probably wouldn't sit right with them.

Spoiler

But I think most who have seen the movie would agree that the main character's permanent conversion into an alien did tie everything up nicely.

That's how good the storytelling is. Cameron makes having inter-species romance seem acceptable.

There were many instances in the movie where the whole plot could have taken a wrong turn & become silly, but credit to Cameron, he managed to keep it all together & a big part of it is te conservative & predictable storyline.

 

[Sithlord1975]

This movie could very well be my very first Blu-Ray that I will get and being to make the switch. I've yet to make the switch, because just waiting, and still content with dvd's. And still don't have the proper tv to watch them on, hence the wait. But this might be my first Blu-Ray.
I was holding out for something big. Whether it be Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars movies, but this movie just might do it and warrant my switch to Blu-Ray and a nice new tv.

 

[jedibear]

Saw it last night. For those who still haven't seen it, some light spoilers ahead in my rambling remarks here....

It was neither the second coming of cinema like most critics are claiming or the unmitigated disaster the naysayers want it to be.

It felt like most movies do these days...like a re-boot, remake, gussied-up version of what we've seen before. Now that hasn't always been a bad thing, mind you...

Now I saw this in standard, 2-D format...that 3D stuff has always just given me a headache, so more than ever for me, the movie had to stand on it's own merits of production values, story and performance without the big sales gimmick of the 3D to work.

It does work...well, mostly. The production looks sumptuous and lush...lots of layers and detail...it's obvious a lot of thought and work went into creating the world of Pandora. It's exotic and familiar at the same time and that is one of it's problems.

As the Na'vi move effortlessly through their environment, they almost defy gravity and it's that moment for me that the "reality" is pierced and my analytical side takes over and kicks me out of the story and it begins to fall apart. There's no "weight" here (literal or figurative) and it just starts looking like an effects reel or a video game instead of keeping me in the story. Yes, I get it that the idea was that the Na'vi were physically more attuned to their environment than the clunky humans were, but it just didn't translate well to me...things weren't convincing enough to me to make that leap.

Another part of what took me out was the "choppy" feel of the narrative...the inconsistent use of Jake's "logs" and the abrupt fade-to-blacks which I presume were meant to be like the "acts" of the story but instead seemed like potential commercial breaks or just awkward stops.
Does this mean there's the inevitable extended cut(s) coming on disc?

But the two biggest issues I had with the movie when it was over were...the design of the Na'vi and the concept of the "Avatars" themselves.

The Na'vi design just looked like a mish-mash of every "savage-tribal-native" look that could be crammed into one being. Sloped foreheads, flat noses, tall and thin builds, aloof feline features with monkey tails, clad with bits of bones, fur and greasepaint, They just come across as caricatures with nothing really unique or new to offer. With the exception of a few close-up shots, they were never entirely convincing or alive in the frame. Again, that nagging video-game comparison that has been foisted around by the naysayers comes to mind.

The whole Avatar concept itself seems a bit much for what they seem to be "built" for. They are culled from a mix of DNA- human and Na'vi - so they are not entirely either. Grace and her colleagues inhabit them to live and move among the Na'vi...to study them, to teach them, to build schools for them (to teach select ones how to speak perfect English). The Na'vi know who/what they are, even giving them the name "sky people"....

So, my big question is....WHY HAVE THE AVATARS AT ALL? Seems like a huge waste of resources to simply study and blend in with the "natives"...the high-tech equivalent of blackface (er, make that blue).
The answer isn't a pretty one...without them, there would be no movie. At least not this one....

Now...it's looking like I really hated this thing, eh? No. Not really.
As usual, Cameron shows he knows how to put together great images and scenes. The movie looks great. There are a lot of great set pieces and moments that are a pleasure to watch. The sound design is impressive and Horner's score adds a great (much-needed) emotional layer to the whole thing. A couple of stand-outs for me....Jake's first moments in his Avatar...breaking into that run! It was emotional and well-played. Having him literally plunge into this new world was a great touch and spun things off with a great energy. The other component was Grace's (Weaver) whole story arc- her journey through the story felt as complete as Jake's, right up to it's bittersweet conclusion. Well-played, indeed.

I'm a genre fan...and this movie is indeed a major genre event. I liked it enough despite the issues I had with it to mull it over some more and check it out again on the big screen. Like most "big" event movies like this, it polarizes the audience into intense opinions and discussions and that alone makes it a success.

Is Pandora worth turning into a franchise and visiting again? Well, this movie definitely leaves it open for that. Time and the level of success will tell...

 

[Khev]

A big deal was made about the 18 minutes of Avatar that previewed in August. So does anyone know which part of the movie was shown?

 

[The ill Jedi]

Saw this last night and I absolutely loved it! I went in with an open mind, not ready to pick it apart for every miniscule flaw and I was not disappointed one bit. James Cameron knows how to do epic and although the story may not be the most original, you'd be hard pressed to find another movie that executes and presents it in such an amazing manner. The visuals are mind numbingly gorgeous, effects studios from here on out are gonna have to step their game up BIG TIME, the Na'Vi looked so realistic. I also saw a lot ALIENS influence in the movie, especially in the AMP Suit and the technology which was all very cool. I can't wait to own this on Blu-Ray. Oh yeah and Neytiri is sooooooo beautiful, I'm in for the Hot Toys figures and PF!

 

[agen_kolar]

My entire immediate family went to see this tonight, as well as my aunt, uncle, two cousins, and one of my grandmothers. Everyone loved it. Mom and grandma said it was a tad long, and mom compared it to Dancing With Wolves, but still thought it was a great movie. The theatre was packed. For those familiar with college football, we were in Gainesville, Florida watching it when my uncle got a text saying Urban Meyer was resigning as UF's coach. He proceeded to say it loudly enough that half of the theatre heard, so the other half began asking what was going on. Word spread like wildfire. It was pretty hilarious.

 

[King Darkness]

Went a second time today with another friend who wanted to see it, gotta admitt, I liked it a little better the second time. So, I will take my previous rating of 8/10 and make it an 8.5

 

[The ill Jedi]

Went a second time today with another friend who wanted to see it, gotta admitt, I liked it a little better the second time. So, I will take my previous rating of 8/10 and make it an 8.5

Just imagine how sweet this is gonna look on Blu-Ray!!

 

[King Darkness]

No ????, should look and sound fan-????in-tastik

 

[-jay-]

Went a second time today with another friend who wanted to see it, gotta admitt, I liked it a little better the second time. So, I will take my previous rating of 8/10 and make it an 8.5

Go a few more times so we can get your score up to 10

 

[King Darkness]

I doubt that highly, its not a 10, no matter how many times I watch it

 

[-jay-]

I doubt that highly, its not a 10, no matter how many times I watch it

8.5 is a good score though.

 

[Bentargett777]

took my gf last nite as she kept on saying its gonna be crap.But guess what we gonna see it again 2day she liked it that much.So means i wont get moaned at when hot toys releases the avatar figures

 

[-jay-]

took my gf last nite as she kept on saying its gonna be crap.But guess what we gonna see it again 2day she liked it that much.So means i wont get moaned at when hot toys releases the avatar figures

Yeah take advantage of that and buy them all mate.

 

[willocrew]

The whole Avatar concept itself seems a bit much for what they seem to be "built" for. They are culled from a mix of DNA- human and Na'vi - so they are not entirely either. Grace and her colleagues inhabit them to live and move among the Na'vi...to study them, to teach them, to build schools for them (to teach select ones how to speak perfect English). The Na'vi know who/what they are, even giving them the name "sky people"....

So, my big question is....WHY HAVE THE AVATARS AT ALL? Seems like a huge waste of resources to simply study and blend in with the "natives"...the high-tech equivalent of blackface (er, make that blue).
The answer isn't a pretty one...without them, there would be no movie. At least not this one....

Good question.

But I think there are a two possible explanations.

1) It's safer. The avatars provide a means of indirect interaction so in the event that the social experiment fails & things turn hostile, only the avatars die.

2) Greater cultural immersion experience. They get to have that funky tendrils at the ends of the hair that allows them to tap into the spiritual side of the Na'vi culture.

But that raises another question. Does this mean that there are no bald Na'vi on pandora? Maybe natural selection might have eradicated te bald gene or something.

In fact, having short hair might make it difficult to ride a horse (e.g. head permanently tilted to one side to maintain connection).

 

[LoneWolf]

Just watched it tonight (Manila Time), and it exceeded my expectations! Too many naysayers at the start of the film showing.. It was as if the movie was 'guilty until proven innocent'.

9/10 for me.